At the time, growers were claiming that some cuvées were as good as in 1985, but the reality was that 1986 for red Burgundy wines was a thoroughly irregular vintage. The first vineyards to be picked often showed very well – hence the success of Domaine de La Romanée Conti’s Echezeaux in this vintage, but thereafter rainfall and problems with rot took the edge off quality in an age when sorting tables were rare.

Weatherwise, winter was unusually cold and was followed by a mild spring. Summer was hot and dry with the exception of some storms in late August and in the middle of September. Harvesting began at the end of September, with those growers who picked late producing the better wines.

The size of the crop prompted concerns regarding overcropping and as usual in Burgundy it is important to stick with the top growers who restricted their yields in the face of nature's abundant generosity.